Victorinus of Pettau/Poetovio
11 Feb 2012 3 Comments
in Christology, Church, Revelation, Theology Tags: Pre-Mill / Chiliasm, Victorinus of Petovium
First, I have been reading a copy of the new Ancient Christian Texts, by InterVarsity, on the Book of Revelation, the Latin Commentaries on Revelation; and is edited by William Weinrich. There is also the East or Greek Commentaries on Revelation (Oecumenius & Andrew of Casarea), by the same InterVarsity, edited by Tom Oden. Both just grand works and recommended!
In reading and looking at Victorinus of Petovium, and his Commentary on the Apocalypse. Since Jerome modified Victorinus in Rev. 20 and 21 with his own non-chiliastic interpretation, we must see the early version by Haussleiter. Certainly the adherence of Victorinus to millennialism is not total and unconditioned, and we can see that perhaps later he was influenced by Origen - we should keep that in mind. See btw, Charles Hill’s fine book: Regnum Caelorum, Patterns of Millennial Thought in Early Christianity, (Eerdmans).. and his thoughts on Victorinus…”The chiliasm of Victorinus is robust and squarely within the traditional framework.” (p. 36) He even sees the 144,000 in Rev. 7: 4-8 as Jews who will be converted under the preaching of Elijah just before the Antichrist’s coming. These will later be killed, but arise in the first resurrection of Rev. 20: 4-6, and thus stand with Christ on Mount Zion, as in Rev. 14:1. Again, see Hill’s book here.
irishanglican ~ Fr. Robert
Feb 11, 2012 @ 08:48:22
Btw, we should note this taken from Wiki, which I think is taken from the Catholic Encyclopedia?
“He is one of the earliest church fathers to give any indication against Chiliasm, though he still respects the gathering of the church to Judea. Moreover, his remarks on the twentieth chapter of the Apocalypse stand in contradiction to his commentary on the seventh millennium given in his work On the Creation of the World[1], possibly indicating a redaction in his Commentary on the Apocalypse[2], or a change of opinion.”
As has been noted by Hill, there were both Chilists and non-Chilists in the Church, 2nd to the 3rd century, etc. But, certainly Irenaeus and Tertullian were also Chilist (Pre-Mill).
irishanglican ~ Fr. Robert
Feb 11, 2012 @ 11:06:55
Btw, I am not “endorsing” fully the Victorinus quotes here, though I am generally Historic Pre-Mill myself.
irishanglican ~ Fr. Robert
Feb 17, 2012 @ 16:37:38
I should note too our Anglican brother Gerald Bray is also one of the Series Editors. Bray is a conservative, Reformed Anglican, and perhaps one of the finest Anglican Brits, that writes today!